by Jane Lambert

This Video Will Not Be Eclipsed Behind Anything!

Annapurna “AP” Tobler is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter based in San Jose, CA. Often described as a “grunge poet,” AP writes music with heavy riffs and complex themes, holding mental health topics as vital influences in their songwriting. AP aims to share their experiences with anxiety and depression by crafting songs rooted in grunge and alternative rock, with hopes that these thematic elements will speak to listeners who are going through similar experiences.

In their music video for new single, “Eclipse,” it showcases their talent and is reminiscent of how old music videos in the days of MTV were made and we are here for it! The vintage grunge rock music accompanies the Smashing Pumpkins-esque music video and really welds the both together. It highlights the importance of mental health especially being someone with anxiety and depression. AP is not only authentically genuine, but they are also relatable.

They state that, “The video for Eclipse was filmed as a family project. It is directed and filmed by my dad while my mom and brother assist with video artwork, concepts, and filming locations. Eclipse is about the struggle of not being able to let go of past trauma. The song explores deep, often distracting, feelings and we used disorienting and warping imagery to represent the struggle to gain clarity. Images of Blunt Force (B-side) are blended into the video to tie the stories together. The core imagery is based off the album cover and was shot close to my home in San Jose, CA. The video is more artistic and abstract and I hope it conveys a deeper meaning to the song.”

Watch “Eclipse” here:

AP’s musical journey began with the discovery of drums at the age of 8. They explored the sounds and composition of grunge, hard rock, metal, and jazz through their studies, adding guitar and bass to their instrument studies in the years that followed. AP has been gigging regularly since a young age, performing at high profile music events such as PASIC, Sweetwater Gearfest, and touring with the School of Rock AllStars. They drum professionally for local bands, and with the dynamic Street Drum Corps. Nirvana, Green Day, and Weezer are all significant influences and their versatility as a multi-instrumentalist has allowed them to compose and perform all tracks for their songs.

We look forward to hearing, and seeing, more from this multitalented artist!

You can find AP Tobler via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.26.22

by Jane Lambert

AP Tobler’s New Music is Authentically Them

AP Tobler uses their own life as a guide for their music. Unlike many musicians out there, you can hear their passion and intimacy with the music, not just the words. We can hear their rawness and vulnerability in their work, allowing the listeners in and feeling along with them. AP Tobler is authentic and that’s what makes them, and their music, so amazing.

Their newest single, “Eclipse” was too big for a single song, so they gave us “Blunt Force,” the single that lives on the B-side. “Blunt Force” is the perfect companion piece to “Eclipse,” a grungy rock song that sounds like Nirvana meets Green Day. “Eclipse” This song is a personal one for AP that most people been through. It describes the way trauma affects our minds and bodies in the music. “Eclipse is about the mental block that comes with suffering a past trauma,” shares AP. “I wrote this song while I was replaying painful events in my head. I was sick of feeling upset over things that had happened years ago. When I write music about personal experiences, the lyrics and melody tend to come together very quickly. This is the case with Eclipse. I was actually on a phone call with friends and started feeling anxious. In the middle of the call, I opened my Notes app and started typing fragments of lyrics about how I was feeling.”

The companion piece, “Blunt Force,” is about a time in which a close friend to AP just left, suddenly and unexpectedly. There was no notice, they were just no longer friends with no explanation. This grunge song depicts this experience and the repercussions it had on AP. “After two years without resolution, I finally wrote a song to express the lingering emotions I was feeling,” says AP. “One night I picked up my guitar and wrote a cord progression that I liked. I started to write the lyrics and within 30 minutes I had a melody and lyrics to represent the emotions of this painful experience. I refined the song over a few sessions, adding layers to fill it out. The writing process was cathartic, as I had encapsulated this traumatic event into a song.”

Listen to “Eclipse” and the B-Side “Blunt Force” here:

You can find AP Tobler via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.13.22

by Jane Lambert

Kick and the Hug’s Video for their Single “Born Too Late” is an Embrace of Live Music Experience of the Past and Present

The up and coming four-piece indie pop band, Kick and the Hug, grew up with a live music experience that, simply put, is slowly going out of style. The era of taking in the music by feeling it is now gone. While the music listeners and concert goers of today still take in the music, though in a new and different way, what they have that Kick and the Hug didn’t is the internet. Smartphones and social media have changed the landscape of concerts and live music, therefore changing the way music is experienced. The generation of Woodstock attendees and Dead Heads are replaced with the new generation of P!nk and Arianna Grande concerts, which is usually posted about the next day. Kick and the Hug’s most recent single, “Born Too Late” is a pop rock song about seeing a concert through the phone.

The video for “Born Too Late” takes the idea of being born into a generation of music that enjoys a concert through posting about being there on Instagram and turns it on it’s head. The normal thing to do now is to post a photo and/or video of the concert you went to. Members of the Kick and the Hug, who would enjoy music like the Dead Heads, were now experiencing music through their phones. They had changed with the time and realized that they were no longer experiencing music the same way either. Their use of baby dolls in the video is a visualization of the older members of the band both embracing social media and a reminder that they don’t need their phones to have an experience.

“It’s a song about watching shows through your phone…being a camera person instead of just being fully immersed in the show,” shares Doug Murray, lead singer and guitar player of Kick and the Hug. “It’s nice to show everyone on social media that you’re having a great time at this awesome show…but you know what’s better? Actually having the great time, not thinking about a post, or tomorrow or even five minutes into the future. It’s a little preachy, cause I catch myself posting clips all the time, but after releasing this song it’s a pretty good reminder to just get the damn shot, stick the phone in my pocket and connect with what’s going on around me.“

Watch the video:

You can find Kick and the Hug via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

12.17.21

by Jane Lambert

Stardust Crush’s Video for their Latest Single is Thick with Symbolism

Seattle based music project, Stardust Crush, lead by Chris Hill, just released their music video for their groovy song “The Gravity of the Goddess (No One Else Can Dance Like You).” The psychedelic rock and chill-pop song sounds like that of The Grateful Dead meets Pink Floyd. Inspired by a friend of his who was going through a hard and dark time, Chris initially wrote this song for him. He hoped that this song would help his friend out of the dark, and eventually “The Gravity of the Goddess” was born.

“The piano part made me think about a specific friend going through a hard time and I realized the song was writing itself to be encouraging to them…I was just along for the ride,” shares Chris. “I want people to know that they have more strength inside themselves than they realize.”

Watch here:

“‘The Gravity of the Goddess’ video reveals how things seemingly juxtaposed are actually connected at a deeper level,” shares Chris. “Such as walking through the woods day and night or a film of boxing juxtaposed against lyrics about dancing. A small spinning Earth travels through an evergreen forest located upon its own spherical body… It is still at home even as it travels and so are you. You will encounter obstacles along your own yellow brick road through space but you can overcome them by knowing your self-worth…This knowledge is the key to the Emerald City.”

Chris Hill tells us to embrace the dark, because there is always light at the end. He hopes to bring out the inner strength within us all. The vigor of the music, the build up of sounds in the chorus, is the symbol of your inner warrior, who is fighting the battle of self-acceptance and self-love within ourselves. The joy and fearlessness in the music is a sign that that inner warrior is winning

You can find Chris Hill via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.21.11

by cristobalsaez

Esben and the Witch to Release Debut Album

esben

“Not to say they’re in any way a throwback, but the intense fury these three modest humans work up reminds me of ’80s/’90s bands who were desperate to match savvy rock songwriting with scary, theatrical emotion and intensity without turning it into noise punk or cabaret shtick. They walk a line, evoking folklore and fairy tales and witchery, swelling to a climax that’s hypnotic but never quite reveals itself.” — SPIN

Dark noise pop Esben and the Witch are set to release their debut album, Violet Cries. Their intense sound has been raved about ever since they released their 3 EP. You can check out their “Warpath” mp3 here, and their new music video for “Marching Song” below.

12.16.10

by cristobalsaez

U.S. Royalty to release “Mirrors”

usroyalty
Washington DC-based band US Royalty are finally ready to release their debut record after spending a year recording and writing the music as a band. The folk pop band has been compared to the likes of Local Natives and the Black Keys, but in reality, their inspiration is drawn from Kubrick and Ennio Morricone soundtracks.